Lilith79

I assume she will come on a tourist visa.

What I was wondering is: how do you prove that she didn't know about the plan and that she didn't get in the country with the intent of getting married and staying?

Sorry if the question is lame

We were lucky considering we met in person in January while I was in the U.S. for an internship and that I stayed more than 8 months, 4 of which we lived together!

I got back to my country 6 weeks ago and he's gonna be here in 28 days!

We are planning to spend a month here and 3 months in the U.S. in 2008, while we wait for the papers to be processed (haven't filed yet though )

A short consideration about what jundp said: I haven't seen my fiancé for 6 weeks now and it seems like 10 years. I'm sure that everybody here feels the same way and that we do this for love. But honestly, I really don't know if I could go a year or more without seeing him... And I'm sure I love him a lot!!!

I think that it depends on the kind of person you are (hope I wasn't off topic )

I have to say I'm very surprised to read about so many people with degrees struggling to find a good job in the U.S...

I lived overthere for more than 8 months under an internship and I was offered a couple of good positions that didn't get through (because of the missing work permit, of course). I don't have any other experiences but that internship (in the Italian Consulate though, does that sound "cool" to possible employers?") and my ideal job would be teacher or translator, since my Italian M.A. is in Foreign languages and literature.

Job situation totally sucks here (I'm unemployed...) and one of the reasons we don't want to stay here and we are going to apply for a K-1 is because of the higher number of opportunities in the U.S. . Does it depend on the State/city where you live? I was in Boston and it seemed I had many chances there, but my fiancé is more eager to stay in North Carolina or Colorado.

Am I delusional if I think it is not gonna be that hard for me to find a job?

Maybe having already worked in the U.S. as an intern could help?

Congratz!

How long did it take?

To update people,

My SO is from Tunisia and technically does not have legal documents to live in Italy and he still is there, Now he DID HAVE documents before but they have not renewed them. He is still there, a few of you say that he has to go back to Tunisia for his interview,

I want him to have the Interview in Rome and plan to call the Embassy in Rome and ask if he can do that, Rather just go to the source instead of speculate. I found this on the American Embassy in Rome Website: Can anyone break the code... to me it says he can have the interview in Rome.

The Rome District Office has direct jurisdiction for USCIS immigration matters in the following locations:

Italy, Algeria, Andorra, France, Gibraltar, Holy See, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Tunisia, and Western Sahara.

As an Italian, I can only help telling you that the K-1 visas are processed by the Consulate in Naples.

Btw, I would say he probably has to get back to his country especially since he is illegally here Of course, I could be wrong (maybe the U.S. government doesn't care about breaking other countries immigration law?)

I'm sorry, I hope you guys will work something out! Best of luck!

Is it mandatory to change your name?

Hi all

I'm waiting for my USC fiancé to be here (in less than a month! ) and in the meanwhile I'm starting preparing the papers and getting information about the whole process. We were thinking of sending our package to USCIS from here (Italy) so that we don't have to wait for him to get back to the U.S. in January and do it. Do you think it will be fine? I'm sorry if it's a weird or stupid question, I just couldn't find a similar topic anywhere and it seems to me that everybody sends their packages from the U.S.!

Another question: I worked as a non-paid intern for my government in Boston for a few months this year. Should this be listed in the "employment" section of the biographic information form? I'm not sure it's considered a real employment since I didn't get any money and I didn't have a contract.

Thank you so much!!!

It's very interesting to see how many different situations exist in this world!

Thanks everybody for sharing your personal experience.

My family knows my fiancè is a USC but they don't know we are engaged yet...After I got back from 8 months in the U.S., where I lived with my sweetheart, I got back to live with them even if I'm 28 cause in Italy the situations with jobs and houses really sucks. I want them to meet him in person before telling them what our plans are...I'm a bit concerned since I know that, even though they are happy if I am, this will really be a big deal to them, cause they would like to have me very close, stay with me when I'll have kids etc...

I guess it's my life and I'll do what I think it's right for myself, but it's really tough to know that your beloved will suffer about it

Hope this is the right board for posting this topic.

I'm about to file for a K-1, but my family doesn't know it yet. They know I want to live in the U.S. and I think they are very scared of it.

I was curious about your experiences with their families and friends telling them you were going to move halfway around the world, marrying a foreigner.

I know that some countries, like mine, are more "family oriented" and consider more appropriate for kids to live in the same neighborhood of their parents or so. What was their reaction? Did you have any sense of guilt? Did they accept the situation or never got over it?

I know they'll give me hard times...

I'm still in my country, but I just got back after 8 months in the U.S.

I know I won't miss:

- the job market (completely agree with the French guy/girl-sorry, forgot the nickname- about studying a lot and being impossibile to find a job!)

- the traffic, pollution and huge parking problem in Rome

- how italians treat other italians

- the soccer madness

- the totally uncapable government

- 20% VAT!!!

I'll definetely miss (that's an easy one):

-food! food! food!

-italian wonderful art cities and landscapes

I think this topic is very interesting and highly questionable.

Personally I'm the one that will get through the huge adjustment period (I'm from Italy), but I lived in the U.S. for more than 8 months, 4 of which with my fiancé. I fit in perfectly and I started desiring my life in the U.S. after a few weeks I was in Boston. I'm not gonna give up on a small amount of friendships ans familiy tie (I will maybe face my parents and relatives dismay since Italians are all about living in the same neighborhood of their kids) but I'm eager to do that for my love AND for my desire of not staying here (I would leave anyway for somewhere in Europe).

Of course, considering the super hard situation that we face here about jobs (I graduated from grad school 2 years ago and still unemployed...) I want to leave my country cause I don't have any prospective here and my fiancé, knowing this, could be suspicious and think I'm trying to get married just for having my dream come true. We wouldn't ever get married if we hadn't lived together for a while and had a chance to know each other enough to make such decision. Personally I don't understand people who get married without having lived together, but that's completely up to them. I wouldn't use the 90 days as a test, though and my fiancé wouldn't either. He had lots of doubts before proposing (for months he said he wouldn't think about marriage) and I wouldn't blame him if he had moments in which he was afraid I could be doing that cause I was in love with his country more than with him.

I think that if a bell rings you know that it's ringing, but resorting to dishonest ways shouldn't be tolerated. I think talking about these doubts is the best thing to do. If one still feels too insecure about the OP should NOT get married (and btw I believe a few doubts are just normal and human for any of us...but there are different levels of doubts.)

It's not a crime to go on vacation for a long time, but it is a violation of your "visa" to stay beyond its expiration date. When traveling abroad on an American visa (I am American and did this in Europe), you are given a 90-day "tourist visa" immediately by just having an American passport. It's not written, your passport automatically works as this sort of visa. But I can tell you, if you over stay that 90 days and they notice when you're leaving the country, that equals big fines. And no more coming into the country for a long time. So if you went to Italy (or you came over here, because I think the Italian passport works the same way for here) your fiance would have to cross the border every couple months to renew his "visa." Though, they can still catch you if they just look a couple stamps back at where you've been and for how long.

Also, I lived for a year in France working illegally and it was not as easy as you seem to think it is. With the European Union, it's a lot harder for Americans to work in Europe, especially if your fiance doesnt speak the language.

If I were you, I would do the above options and be very careful. Definitely cross the border to get the passport stamped out though. If the UK or wherever finds out he's been there for almost a year (which is close to how long this process takes), he wont be allowed back in for a long time and he's facing a heavy fine.

I know the regulation about Italy and Europe. As you said, he could stay just 90 days with the visa waiver program, but the situation in Italy is a little bit different than in the UK. First of all, if he overstays his visa nobody is ever gonna ask him to pay any fine. They could forbid him from re-entrying the country before other 90 days are gone by, though. But Italy is a pretty "flexible" country about immigration... The good thing is that he could get a 90 days extension for tourism just going to the police department and applying for it. But I agree that he should not work here illegally and not only because he doesn't speak italian (that's a real problem anyway).

We'll probably try to stay in Ireland and hopefully the situation will be different there.

Also, chrisandamye said that the K-1 visa process can take almost a year...I've checked many timelines and it seems to me that the average time is around six months, more or less. Am I wrong?

Thank you again for any of your advice!

There really isn't a problem with staying with him in another country, provided you keep a permanent US address (like your parents' house) and someone can forward on the NOAs to you! As long as he can be in his country for the medical and interview process (and to get the packet from the US Consulate) then it's not an issue.

Best of luck! You're one of the lucky ones where staying together in the process is an option.

Thank you Laura and Gwen for your replies!

He is the USC, I'm not. I guess this doesn't change what you said Gwen

Of course, he would not be able to work in the UE. That's why we were considering different options like the K-3 or the DCF, but I'm realizing that would be wiser to apply for a K-1 anyway (he could work in italy if we got married here but he doesn't even speak italian!).

I guess that if he worked illegally in the UE (I know that's not something "fair", but I'm also aware I'm talking of something that happens everyday and being European I can really tell how easy it is overhere) this would not be an issue for the USCIS.

I was concerned the USCIS could be "suspicious" about him staying abroad for something like 6 months but I also guess it's not a crime to go on vacation for a long time.

Hi all and thank you for your help ahead of time!

Sorry for not filling my timeline, we haven't filed for a visa yet but we are trying to understand what is the best solution for us.

My fiancé is an USC and I'm Italian. We lived together in the U.S. since I stayed for more than 8 months under a diplomatic visa.

Now we are apart and he is about to come here to visit and we'll probably decide to file for a K-1.

We really don't want to stay separated cause we are so in love and, especially after sharing our lives for a while, it's definitely hard to wake up alone in the morning

We are thinking of staying in the U.E. while waiting for the whole K-1 process to be completed. I don't have a job cause the situation here kinda sucks about it (I have an M.A. and I'm unemployed...) and we could go to Ireland or UK where the situation seems to be a little easier.

Questions are: can we stay together in Europe and wait for me to get my visa? He works independently so he doesn't have a problem in leaving U.S. and renting is apartment out. He has strong family ties in the U.S. and many bank accounts.

Can we apply from abroad (and maybe give them some american address like his parents to get the NOAs?)

Hope these are not lame questions!

Thanks again and good luck to everybody filing for a visa!

I "overstayed" 2 months and 20 days but I don't see how they can find this out.

Believe me, they know.

Be truthful and honest when asked questions about previous criminal records and overstaying.

Best of luck!

Thank you for your help!

Btw, I really don't understand how they would know. I read on another forum that, unless there is a serious inspection on your case, the out of status is very hard to be proved in cases like mine. What I am trying to say is that according to the Department of State my visa allowed me to stay as long as I was working at the Consulate, but there is no official record of when I started my internship and when it was supposed to end. It's like it was up to my government to decide how long I could stay and serve for them. My boss said it wasn't certainly an issue for the U.S. government.

Anyway, if I said the truth, would that be critical for a potential denial of my K-1 visa?

Hi all and thank you in advance for all the help and the support I know I'll get from this awesome comunity!

I got back from the U.S. about 3 weeks ago. I'm from Italy and I lived in the U.S. for 8 months and 10 days under an A-2 visa (diplomatic, non paid intern).

I was living with my boyfriend (we have been together for almost 9 months now) that I met the second day I was in the U.S.

We are planning to file for a K-1 visa, but we are scared of a couple of issues we could have.

First of all he has been convicted and incarcerated for 4 months years ago (I think 6). It was a minor crime, neither of those listed on the I-129F, but we are wondering if he needs to declare it somewhere.

Plus, I kinda overstayed my visa. I'm saying "kinda" 'cause I had the D/S (Duration of Status) on my I-94 and I was "covered" from my bosses (meaning that I have a letter from them saying I was an intern till the end of August, when I was just going in every now and then) that are eager to declare that I was still an intern if someone asked. Supposedly my program was ending at the end of May and I had the right to stay for another month (grace period). I "overstayed" 2 months and 20 days but I don't see how they can find this out.

Any advices? I was wondering if I should try to be honest and declare it or if, since my very peculiar situation (they say diplomatic status is privileged...We called the DOS while I was overthere and they said I could stay till I was an intern, but didn't say what I had to do to prove I was in status.) I should maybe pretend everything is regular.

Thank you for reading all my story

I'll appreciate any help.